A policeman providing security to polio workers was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Pashtunabad area of Balochistan’s provincial capital Quetta on Wednesday.
The deceased was reportedly targeted during a prayer break.
“Police constable Zainullah was shot in the head outside a mosque near the Basic Health Unit in Pashtunabad,” a police official said, adding that Zainullah had taken a prayer break and was returning to the health unit when two armed motorcyclists opened fire on him, killing him instantly.
A health official said the polio immunisation campaign would not be suspended after the deadly attack.
The anti-polio drive is underway in 15 union councils of Quetta amid tight security. However, the latest attack is a serious blow to the campaign.
Despite security, polio vaccinators fear for their lives. In November last year, four polio vaccinators, including three women, were brutally murdered and three others were wounded when armed men opened fire on their vehicle in Quetta.